This is a very tough start for Ashley Giles but it is not a bad thing to begin
your England career with expectations low.

England are almost 1-0 down already, given the odds ranged against them having lost both warm-up matches and Graeme Swann, James Anderson and Jonathan Trott rested for the series.

We cannot expect England to go out there and immediately pick up where they left off in the Test series. They have won just one of their last 18 one-day internationals in India so a good result on this tour would be to avoid a whitewash.

Of course, they have to look for a series win, particularly with India so vulnerable after losing to Pakistan, but it would be a decent return for England if they can end the series having won a couple of matches.

Playing one-day cricket in India is different. It is imperative batsmen take opportunities and make big scores. Batting against the new ball is quite easy in India. The ball comes on to the bat nicely and with a new ball at either end the top order has to cash in and make a big score.

In India you need to explode in the first 20 overs, play powerfully and set the innings up because the hard part, particularly for English batsmen down the years, is during the middle overs when the spinners are on.

You need hundreds in India. You do not win matches with batsmen making 60 or 70. You need big scores. The likes of Ian Bell, Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen at the top of the order have to make the hundreds so Eoin Morgan can play around them in a free spirited way.

There is no mystery about India’s spinners or real pace to bother England. With KP and Morgan in the side England have the talent to chase down any score.

Bell is a ready-made opener in one-day cricket and has built a good partnership with Cook. Moving Pietersen to three in the absence of Trott puts him in his perfect position.

I know Trott is consistent but Pietersen at three is what you need in one-day cricket. He has all the skills.

He can raise the game as soon as he goes in, make the most of powerplays and is the kind of player who could go on and make 180 or even a double hundred in 50 overs so you want to give him the chance to face as many balls as he can, especially in India where there is very little swing.

For the bowlers it is crucial they are able to mix it up. Slower balls and yorkers will be invaluable at times but also the ability to change the pace will be important on dead tracks.

In India you cannot be predictable and England will have to make the move ball laterally. If the ball stays dead straight, India will score plenty. England are the best in the world at making the ball swing.

They have a system to shine the ball that works and it only needs an inch of movement to make a difference. If it goes straight India’s batsmen will just hit through the line and the ball and it will fly out of the park.

When England have done well in one-day cricket Stuart Broad, Anderson and Swann have been successful. Steven Finn has done exceptionally well but he faces more of a challenge this time because he knows he is leading the attack, which calls for a different mindset.

When you have Anderson at the other end, the senior partner can dictate and the youngster can bowl with a bit more freedom.

But Finn now takes on the responsibility and has to lead from the front. It will not be easy in India but it is a great opportunity to continue his development and lay down a marker with Giles.

This is also James Tredwell’s big chance to step out of Swann’s shadow. He is an experienced cricketer but not at international level. He will have to be very tidy and solid in the middle overs.

If he can do that then there will be a case to play him and Swann together in one-day cricket because they are different types of off-spinners.

They are both attacking in their own way. Tredwell bowls slower with a little bit more flight than Swann who gives it more of a rip and spins it more. They can work together.

England are also a better fielding team than India. I imagine India will be a bit more youthful and energetic in the field compared to the Test series but England are still a better and more professional fielding unit. If you can squeeze India in the field it can shave 20 runs off their total.

The spectators play a big part in India. There will be huge crowds, they will be noisy and sometimes it can be difficult as a captain to communicate with the fielders. Cook will not be able to shout out his orders because the players will not be able to hear him.

The fielders will have to be on their game and constantly watching Cook, who will have to be very careful working out the angles for his field settings against inventive Indian batsmen.